When Raven woke up, she was not expecting to see the alien right before her eyes. Starfire snored quietly in her sleep as she faced the empath. Raven took a minute to observe the alien as she slept, eyes trailing the delicate face of the teammate she fought along for years.

The memories from yesterday rushed into her mind. She exhaled, forcing herself to calm down before she woke up Starfire. She carefully rose from the bed, the blanket collecting in her lap.

She lay there in a sitting position for a while, eyes casted to the doors of the balcony. She really wanted a time for herself right now. She glanced at her snoring friend, still unbothered by her movements.

With a swift movement, she got out of bed. Her power encased the blanket that draped itself on the contently sleeping alien. She summoned her cloak, placing itself on her shoulder as she phased through the doors of the balcony.

The environment was silent, no howling wind to surprise her. She took a quick glance below, noting that the castle was still asleep. She levitated, far from the palace and towards the area where the event took place.

Raven flew with a leisure pace, taking in the environment that escaped her attention yesterday. Following the river, she glanced at every corner, hoping to see the creature that caused her this condition.

The empath stopped before the drop, the loud current serving as a relaxing sound. The wind from the waves blew her cloak around, swaying gently against her form. Taking a quick glance at the wounds in her limbs, she guessed that the toxins were gone.

She went past the drop, decreasing in altitude as she landed where she helped her creature. The smoke from the falls barely reached her here, and it looked like a good moment to swim.

"Well, at least the outfit would serve its purpose." She muttered to herself, cloak already folded and placed in the ground along with her footwear. She took a hesitant dip, trying out the temperature of the water.

It was tolerable, and she found herself going deeper. She was waist-deep when she halted, eyes surveying the area. Okay, maybe she was still a little bit paranoid with what she wore.

She extended her senses, waiting for her empathy to pick up on any interloper. Content that she found none, she swam deeper, the water up to her chest. She continued going deeper, enjoying the flow of water as she walked.

This was the peace she needed right now. Her mind was finally working to remind her of yesterday's event.

Starfire desired me? For how long? And why wasn't I able to notice it?

She took a deep breath, splashing her face with the cold water. No matter how she tried to discern it, her mind drew up blank. How oblivious could she be? Or was Starfire really skilled in hiding her emotions?

She exhaled slowly, and then she submerged herself to the cold depths of the water. She kept her eyes open inside the water, her senses heightened enough to see clearly among the debris that floated.

She landed softly in the waterbed, with arms swaying to ground her to the floor. When she was sure she wouldn't be floating towards the surface, she settled on the ground with crossed legs, the dirt flat enough to be comfortable.

She restrained from moving too much, trying to sustain herself inside the water with their rough training. She would be down here without struggling for about a minute or two. Her lilac locks danced around her, flowing with the current.

All those times she visited me, was to see me? I thought that she just merely wanted company whenever Robin was gone. But, I was wrong.

She recalled the moments that Starfire came knocking on her doors. She would always say that she was bored and wished to meditate with her or just merely spend time with her. She recalled further, trying to play out the scene as detailed as her memory could.

She closed her eyes, trusting her senses as she dug deeper to her memory.

[I desired someone who would see and understand me for who I am. Robin could not understand my emotions, why I needed to feel it so strongly. It is part of who I am that no one could take from me.]

She did recall the times Robin would approach her how to handle Starfire, and she gave the advice that would fit both of them. There were times those two would bicker and she was left to be the mediator to ease the tension. It was easier approaching the alien, she was the easiest to comfort.

[Do you know how hard I yearned for you? How hard I restrained myself during all those times I sought comfort from you and your room?]

Their shared hugs in the room, where Starfire was saddened, did Starfire enjoy those? When the other girl was looking with yearning at her wall when they meditated, was it cast towards her?

The memory now felt different after the realization. Her heart fluttered, beating wildly in her chest.

[You do not realize, but you are beautiful]

Her cheeks flushed when the phrase suddenly popped out of her mind. She opened her eyes, knowing it was time to rise from the abyss. She stood up and leapt, the waters carrying her quite easily towards the surface.

The rushing sound of the water greeted her once again once she resurfaced. Thankfully, her trek towards the surface was mostly calm, devoid of breezing winds and gazes from people.

She hoisted herself up, rotating as she did, before she sat on the ground. Her legs swayed around the water, hair dripping as it clung to her ashen skin. Her bangs felt heavy as they hung in front of her face, dripping.

"Are you cold?"

Raven called her powers, rising to meet the intruder. She turned and met the one that has been on her mind for now. Starfire did not flinch, eyes gently looking at her as she approached Raven. How was she not able to sense Starfire?

She bent down to pick the folded cloak, before offering it to the empath.

"You haven't answered me. Are you cold?"

"No, no…" Raven muttered, holding the gaze of Starfire.

"I see you swam. You look good, dripping wet."

She glared at the twinkling eyes of the alien, experienced in literature enough to know the innuendo.

"For someone who looks so naive, you are far from it."

"I am naive on Earth due to cultural differences, Raven. But I am a princess trained and shaped from the hardest training in Okaara. I am far from being stupid and unteachable."

Raven tore the gaze, sitting back down on the ground. Starfire followed her, placing herself beside the empath.

"I guess I forgot to thank you," Raven whispered, hands clenching as she struggled to say the next words. "About yesterday."

"You do not need to thank me. I should be the one apologizing for not telling you in advance about the falls and the thorns."

"You did not come here to talk about the event, did you, Starfire?"

"I am serious from what I said yesterday, Raven. I desire you and wish to court you. The moment I saw you missing from the bed, I knew where you would be."

"You guessed right."

"I did not force you into anything yesterday, did I?"

Raven looked at Starfire's worried eyes. Her eyebrows raised in concern as she waited for Raven to answer.

"No, you didn't force me into anything. Star, about yesterday, I… kind of enjoyed it."

She dug her hands on the earth, face abashed as she faced Starfire. Starfire looked relieved, the tension from her shoulders dissipating.

"X'hal, thank goodness. I was merely guessing with your expressions."

"I — Star, look, I can't speak during that time, you dulled my senses."

"Ah I guess that is a compliment for me, yes? You looked so vulnerable, writhing under me."

"Can we stop talking about that?"

Starfire laughed as she leaned her head back. Raven enjoyed her laughter, full of exuberant mirth. She withdrew her legs from the current, choosing to hug her knees. Starfire stood up beside her and she tilted her head to look curiously at her teammate.

She took the offered cloak and fastened it.

"Fly with me? My planet contains more than this falls."

She took the offered hand as they flew. Raven knew that she could release the grip Starfire had on her, but it was comfortable, warm, and firm. Starfire took notice of it, tightening her grip she had on the sorceress.

They went past the falls and deeper to the weird forest. They took a safe distance from the sky, looking at the ground now and then, they had to be aware of the hostile creatures. They kept a slow pace, enjoying the calming breeze that seemed to pick up here and then.

Raven actually enjoyed the comforting grip Starfire had on her, she even found herself leaning closer to her. Starfire did not mind, smiling to her when she saw the gesture. Starfire pointed to a direction in a distance, and the nearer they went, she actually saw it was a mimicry of Earth's hotspring.

"I figured you would enjoy something warm."

"You could have introduced me here first."

They landed softly, the dirt soft as it bent to their weight. Raven relaxed, the steam easing her tensed muscles. It looked like a small fall, the drop not over three meters, but it ended up pooling in a small area, hot water cascading.

"These kinds are still small, our finite resources like water are still recovering. They prioritized the falls."

"I see."

Raven sighed when she took a dip, enjoying the hot water that welcomed her.

"Wait!" Starfire clasped her arms, halting her dip to the spring. "I should inform you that temperatures here are drastic! You may burn yourself."

"Starfire, I am half-demon; we can tolerate heat."

"Oh, nevermind. You can tolerate heat, but not cold?"

"Yeah, it puzzled me too. Ask Trigon."

"Uh,"

"Kidding." Raven chuckled, glad that this time it was the alien that became flustered. Trying to take advantage of the situation, she grabbed the alien's arm and pulled her with her as they crashed inside the hot water.

"Raven!" Starfire shrieked as Raven had a firm grip on her waist. Her grip was unrelenting as they fell, and Starfire found herself laughing. They welcomed the hot water when they resurfaced, although Raven did not fare well with her antics.

"...Bad…idea," Raven said between her coughing. She let go of the girl, whose hair plastered to her face like plastic. She watched in amusement as Starfire struggled with her crimson locks.

"Now I understand why you hate long hair."

Raven slowly reached towards the small falls, hands fanning her face as steam invaded her. She enjoyed the water falling on her back as she settled, barely seeing Starfire from the mist. It battered her form in such a good way, relaxing her muscles.

Starfire appeared in front of her, towering over her frame in a few inches. Her hair still clung, but at her sides. Starfire trapped her between her arms and the solid earth behind her and she had to raise her brows towards the girl.

"Like you said, I did not come here to talk about the event, but about you."

Raven was glad that the hot water falling from above was unlike the first one. If it had been, she would not have heard the girl.

"Look, Star…I appreciate it. What you are feeling about me and all," She voiced out, but the words were hard to say. Her throat tightened, and she tried her best not to look worried. Why was it hard to voice out emotions?

"But, I'm broken, Star. I…it's dangerous for me, both of us knew that the moment the Puppet King swapped us. I can't feel emotions, I'm even struggling right now."

Starfire clasped Raven's chin, tilting it slightly so the empath looked directly to her gaze.

"Then let me," She rasped, nearing her mouth at the girl's ear. "Piece you back together, for the rest of my life I'm with you." She fully encased Raven in her hug, pressing their bodies together as streams of hot water fell on them.

Raven's throat tightened further, and when she opened her mouth, she could not speak. Starfire just looked at her in adoration and understanding, and who couldn't feel something out of that?

"Are you still worried?"

Raven chose not to talk, burying her face in her teammate's neck. With newfound courage, she snaked her arms back to hug Starfire. Could she risk it? Risk her emotions to feel and accept this girl who had understood her from the start?

Her heart began to beat faster, drumming in her chest as she thought about it. Starfire's body that was pressing to her felt so nice, so perfect. She tightened her grip, desperate to do something, yet she knew all those risks.

She leaned her head away from the embrace, heart palpitating so much that she thought she had just finished their training. Starfire was just so tall, that she found herself raising to her toes as she captured Starfire's lips hesitantly.

Starfire responded well, her hand tilting Raven's face to the best angle. Their pace was unhurried, pleasantly taking their time as they shared their moment under the tranquil stream of water.

Raven was clumsy in her attempt, shy that Starfire had to lead it. Starfire gnawed at her lower lip playfully, teeth biting gently as she pried those plump lips open. Raven gasped as Starfire explored her mouth with her skilled tongue.

She did not want to be so inexperienced like yesterday, so she returned with the same fiery favor, surprising Starfire. She fought for control in their mouths, finally rewarded when Starfire moaned, letting the empath explore in her little taste of control.

Raven was enjoying when Starfire brought back the control to hers, unclasping the empath's hold on her waist. She grabbed Raven's palms, encasing it to her own.

"Look how your palm fits so nicely against mine."

"Where have you been getting those lines, Star? Have the romance series you've been watching on Earth affected you?"

"But it is so true," She raised and pinned the girl's hand just above her head. Her free hand trailed from the girl's knees, to her thighs, and finally to her chest. "I can barely restrain myself, Raven. I really love how you react to my touches, how it drives me to do better."

"Then please," Raven gasped, legs feeling weak as she leaned her weight on the stable wall. "Have me."

Starfire's eyes gleamed predatorily as it hungrily gazed over her vulnerable form. She took Raven away from the downfall streams of water, her pace slowed by the waist-deep hotspring they were in.

When they were free from the hot flowing water, Starfire hungrily crashed their lips together. She grasped the empath's nape for stability. Raven moaned, Starfire's emotion burned in the bay of her mind, her empathy being drunk under the unadulterated emotion she was exuding.

Raven hugged her again, desperate to draw her closer. She breathed in heavily when Starfire started to trail kisses to her jaw, then down to her throat, nipping at whatever flesh she could bite.

Starfire went back up to her trail, enjoying the sonorous purrs that Raven was voicing out. Finally done painting the throat of the demoness with her marks, she leaned away, looking softly at Raven's head leaned towards the sky, eyes peacefully closed as she mewled softly.

"Starfire…" Raven's hoarse voice softly said, still shaken with her kisses. She leaned back to face Starfire, eyes slowly opening as she took in the alien's smiling face. Her eyes were burning with yearning, hands that ached to explore more of the alien's body.

"I'm scared, but I'd like to feel these with you, and I fear it would take so long."

"I will be patient, Raven. Take all your time in the world and I shall always be by your side."

Starfire clasped both her cheeks with her hand, her thumbs brushing her amethyst bangs to the side. Raven held her gaze this time, truly content on being trapped inside Starfire's form. There was still hesitation in her gaze, but gradually, it faded away, replaced with burning hunger that longed to dare and dream.

She was a girl that trailed on her path with unrelenting courage, denying her heritage and fury with her hope. A woman that proclaimed that no prophecy nor heritage would bind her for she is free to fly.

"Thank you." Softly she said, for she knew everything would be all right.


Finally happy to bring an ending to this story. Was nice working with you anon, haha.